A letter sent to LABC’s 450 members by the group’s leadership cited deep concerns about the City Council’s vote last month. The letter went out just days after the City Council voted 14-1 to draft a law raising wages to $15 an hour by 2020.

The letter complained about “new motions hastily introduced without providing the business community adequate time to give input.”

“At the Mayor’s request, the LABC worked diligently and in an unprecedented manner to consider and support his $13.25 minimum wage plan,” the letter later states. “The package approved by the Council goes too far and threatens to put Los Angeles at a competitive disadvantage. The Mayor has publicly supported the Council’s action.”

Reached Tuesday, chairman Cox downplayed the letter, noting that it was sent in reaction to questions from members. He said that while his group took a formal position on Garcetti’s $13.25 plan, LABC hasn’t had time to fully consider the council’s proposal.

“Our original support for the increase of the minimum wage hasn’t changed,” Cox said.

He noted that there are “major provisions” being added and that the final wage plan seems to change “by the hour.”

In a separate interview, president Leslie also said the LABC’s membership hasn’t had time to consider the council’s plan.

Garcetti announced in February the LABC was backing his citywide pay hike proposal. The endorsement was key for Garcetti, who has faced criticism from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, and the Los Angeles County Business Federation over his wage plan.

Prompting resistance from business groups, labor groups are asking for a provision allowing businesses with collective bargaining agreements with their employees to be exempt from the city’s new minimum wage.

Supporters argue that other California cities have such exemptions.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, City Council President Herb Wesson and City Councilman Paul Krekorian answered questions from reporters about the unions’ request at a budget-signing Wednesday at City Hall. Below is a transcript of their remarks.

Los Angeles Times: What do you think of the proposal for an exemption or waiver for the minimum wage (for unions)?

Garcetti: It’s not in the ordinance. I think a lot of people have opinions. I think a lot of people have opinions, whether it’s business or labor, or stakeholders. We’ll always listen to that. But what’s moving forward is something that doesn’t have that in it.

LAT: Do you not want (the waiver) I am trying to ask. Would you support it?

Garcetti: With anything that comes after a long process, I’m always open to hearing about, to looking at, to studying, but that’s different than whether we’re moving forward. I think, the council, the ordinance that they put forward, and that I hope that comes to my desk, doesn’t have that in it right now.

City News: Had this issue come up before in the past, is this the first time you have heard about it?

Garcetti: My understanding is that it’s come up in other ordinances in other cities. But it was something that was not included. It might have been said in public comment. Other people, labor, have brought it up with you all, or the public. But no, it hasn’t been included.

Labor groups want a new provision added to Los Angeles’ minimum wage ordinance, one that would exempt businesses that have collective bargaining agreements with their workers from paying the new minimum wage.

Raise the Wage, a coalition of labor, business, and community leaders, is asking City Hall lawmakers to include language addressing collective bargaining in the final ordinance.

Not satisfied by the final agreement, Raise the Wage wants to ensure the issue of collective bargaining is also addressed.

“For every local wage ordinance it has ever adopted, the Los Angeles City Council has respected agreements that businesses and employees have mutually reached,” Rusty Hicks, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and a Raise the Wage member said in a statement Tuesday night. “LA should continue to do what other cities in California have done when raising its minimum wage.”

Supporters of the provision say that similar language was added into a city ordinance regulating wages at large hotels in Los Angeles. Under that law, hotels with a unionized workforce can be exempted from paying the city-mandated $15.37 hourly wage.

Los Angeles business groups, who are already backing a lawsuit over the hotel wage, expressed anger Tuesday about the possibility of the provision.

Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, alleged the unions’ support of a new minimum wage was about getting more union members.

“We all were wondering what was in it for unions,” Waldman said. “They weren’t supporting it out of the goodness of their heart.”

Representatives for City Council members Mike Bonin, Paul Krekorian and Curren Price didn’t respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Vanessa Rodriguez, spokesman for Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, wrote in an email: “When writing citywide policies of this significance, issues often arise during the final stages and consistent with the City Council’s public process the issue will be thoroughly reviewed and vetted prior to any policy decision being made.”

As a candidate running for Los Angeles mayor in 2013, Eric Garcetti opposed moving the city’s elections to coincide with presidential elections, the L.A. Weekly reports.

“We’ve looked at this, and you kind of have either fewer people, more focused, or more people less focused,” Garcetti said, according to the Weekly. “In a presidential election, I think you get lost in the noise. I’d rather, I think, keep things the way they are, but strive to have more and more participation.”

As mayor, Garcetti declined last month to take a formal position on changing the city’s election, telling reporters that he can see both sides of the issue.

At a North Hollywood event last Monday, Garcetti was asked again to state his position on the measures, and asked if he would vote for the ballot measures. Garcetti told the Daily News: “I’m leaning towards it,” and added: “We have to do something (about voter turnout).”

He added that he hadn’t taken a formal position in support or opposition, however.

Garcetti gave a similar answer to a television news reporter later in the week.

Charter amendments 1 and 2 would change city elections to coincide with federal and state elections. Supporters argue moving elections would increase voters participation, while opponents argue a change in dates would give more power to special interest groups.

The ballot measure is the first controversial measure to face voters since Garcetti took office in summer 2013.